I’Ll Protect My Tyrant Dad! [EN]: Chapter 97

97. The First XX

I trusted the hormone dopamine in people’s brains more than people themselves.

That dopamine was secreted when someone was recognized by others, and also when they felt a sense of accomplishment.

Dopamine is also released when doing good deeds helps others and has a positive influence on oneself.

‘I just trusted the workings of hormones that make up the human body more than people.’

In this almost fairy-tale-like situation, I, who planned all of this, maintained a detached attitude.

Because all of this was to simultaneously keep an eye on the temple and the imperial palace, which were going to be a real threat to the Mirmod family.

I turned my gaze behind me and asked,

“How’s the atmosphere at the temple, Ted?”

I noticed that the temple’s ‘volunteer work’ presence had significantly diminished.

Belief in God and belief in humans can go hand in hand, but in reality, the resource of belief was limited.

The more people are trusted, the weaker the belief in God becomes.

“Shall I give you a detailed report?”

“Yes.”

The holy knight who betrayed the temple, Ted, smiled.

“According to what I heard from a former priest, it’s a mess. The number of people actually attending the temple has decreased.”

“What about the volunteer work the temple is doing?”

“They seem to be continuing, but… it doesn’t seem to be going well.”

I nodded. More and more, everything was going according to my plan.

“If my prediction is correct, the Pope and the Saintess will return soon.”

“Is that what you’re preparing for? Perhaps, Lady Cien…….”

“Yes.”

“……You knew that the divine power of the Pope and the priests is based on people’s faith.”

I nodded.

They would be very disconcerted by the loss of divine power while they were away. Noticing that people’s faith had waned, and when they began to act with their weakened power.

That was the moment I would step in.

“Now, I’m going to pursue the next step. The children who receive scholarships from the temple—have you tracked them down?”

“Ah, the children who were going to apply for scholarships to our side but went to the temple instead?”

“Yes.”

“Everything is accounted for, except for one person whose whereabouts are unknown.”

I skimmed through the parchment Ted handed me.

The name is Sorbon, age 13, possesses divine power, and is from an orphanage. Originally, he was supposed to be a Cien Merchant scholarship student, but he entered the temple due to the orphanage director’s dissuasion, it says…….

“Hmm, there’s a problem.”

“Yes, definitely…….”

Ted trailed off, as if he felt uneasy.

I answered him firmly.

“Now, we just need to go find that child. That child will be our key.”

The power of the temple was weakening, and the Pope’s divine power was disappearing.

I needed to find out why the temple was holding onto the children under the guise of sponsorship. There must be some dirty scheme hidden…….

With the thought that I could definitely weaken the temple’s power if I could just get evidence, I clenched my fist and clearly declared.

“Let’s find out what those guys are planning.”

“How?”

“You said the place where the child disappeared was A Block Street near the Melting Temple [likely a district or area name].”

“Yes, that’s right. It’s A Block. And there’s the orphanage where that child originally stayed.”

I smiled kindly.

“Originally…… when you don’t know anything, you start with manual labor.”

Just search from the beginning to the end of A Block.

First of all, let’s look through both the Melting Temple and the orphanage.

***

We decided to split up to find the missing child.

Acid and I were one team, Ted and Leonhardt were one team, and Martin and the muscle maid sisters were one team.

The reason why Acid and I were on the same team was nothing special. Except for the last team, we grouped people with and without divine power together.

Ted said he would go with me instead of Leonhardt, but I shook my head.

“Ted and Leonhardt are the advance team looking around the dangerous area near the temple, and Acid and I will only look around the orphanage in the middle. Martin and the maid sisters will join as the rear guard if we are in danger. So everyone can protect me in the middle!”

Leonhardt clapped his hands in admiration.

“Oh, as expected……! Smart Chestnut!”

Unlike him, Bench Sister gritted her teeth.

“A rear guard. It’s frustrating. I’ll increase my power even more and be the advance team next time……!”

I thought I heard the muscle maid sisters’ complaints, but anyway, we divided the area and set off. Of course, I also diligently stuffed the communication magic tool into my pocket.

But, you know…….

“Acid.”

“Yes, Lady Cien.”

“We…….”

I couldn’t turn around to look at Acid, who had his arm around my shoulder, and just stared ahead.

Strangely, my throat was dry.

I didn’t feel like this when Leonhardt hugged me, or when Dad hugged me. When Acid held me in his arms, I kept fidgeting with my fingertips.

Acid seemed to notice my hand on my shoulder and quickly muttered.

“……That’s, it’s too close. But, that’s…….”

I whispered softly.

“……Yes, we have to…… stay close here. The area near the orphanage is almost like a very narrow maze.”

The orphanage we arrived at was in a relatively decent area in the A Block crime zone, but the alleys were so maze-like that I was about to lose my mind.

We had to stick together to get through the alleys.

I quickly pulled myself together, looked at the note I had written down, and kept looking around the orphanage where the child had stayed.

‘There are no clues near the orphanage.’

As I walked diligently and tried to find clues, I had already reached the front of the orphanage gate.

As expected of the cunning temple guys, they didn’t leave any clues when they took the child. I glanced around the bushes and the vicinity of the orphanage and looked over the wall.

‘I can’t hear any signs of people…… no.’

I stared at Acid and then looked around.

In the bleak atmosphere, I heard a strange breathing sound. It was definitely not ours.

Acid quickly pushed me against the wall. Just as I was about to say something in a flustered manner, he blocked me and raised his sword.

A pure white light flickered from his rapier.

The power containing divine power split the barrier flickering in front of me in half.

“It’s a barrier magic to block intruders.”

“……There’s magic like that in the orphanage?”

It was unexpected. When I bit my lip, Acid quickly grabbed my hand.

“Yes. And…….”

“Huh?”

“We have to run away quickly!”

Before I could hear the reason, I quickly ran with Acid’s hand clasped in mine. Running so fast that I was out of breath, I fearlessly broke through the maze-like alleys.

“The intruders went that way. Run!”

I saw men in masks running out like crazy.

Acid and I faced each other in the alley, frozen without making a sound. I quickly put my hand in my pocket and pressed the communication magic tool. It meant that we were withdrawing from this place.

And……. Now it was time to use the portable magic tool.

Originally, it could have a bad effect on the body, so I didn’t use it often, but it was better than being caught by the pursuers.

However, if there was something I overlooked…….

Beep.

As soon as the barrier of the portable magic tool was released, at that moment, a very small, chirping sound was made!

And it seemed that the sound was not only heard by us.

Before I knew it, the voices of the thugs were heard nearby.

“It sounds like it’s coming from this alley?”

A snickering sound got closer to the alley.

“There are a lot of rats here. We know this alley well.”

It would take about 3 minutes for the portable magic tool to work, but could we really escape?

Calculating the time in my head, I grabbed the magic tool, and Acid slowly turned around. And at the same time, pursuers in black masks began to approach the alley.

One step, two steps…….

The moment my mouth was dry and my hands were sweating.

Unfortunately, after about 1 minute with Acid’s hand in mine, pursuers in black masks finally appeared in front of us.

“Oh ho.”

A pursuer in a black mask raised his sword and sneered.

“So you were hiding here.”

“Let’s kill them quickly and go. They’re just two small fries.”

Before Acid raised his sword, he stared at me and said urgently.

“I’ll handle it since I learned swordsmanship. Lady Cien, stay here.”

“No, if we just talk for a bit, we can run away-!”

Acid said with a rare cold face.

“No, I have to subdue them all before those guys see our faces clearly.”

He left me in the alley and confronted the pursuers. Before I knew it, his sword was moving in a graceful line.

I watched the scene and grabbed the portable magic tool.

1 minute and 30 seconds left.

‘Can Acid, a healer, buy time against professional assassins?’

I watched the situation with an anxious heart.

And…….

***

……It only took Acid exactly 1 minute to subdue everyone.

The pursuers fell to the floor like fallen leaves, unable to even groan. I looked down at the portable magic tool, which was still not working, with a troubled look and said.

“……That’s, there’s still 1 minute left until the portable magic tool works……. Since they probably won’t be able to get up anyway, should we just walk?”

Acid put the blood-stained sword back into its scabbard and said.

“Yes, that would be better. The portable magic tool is dangerous, so there’s no need to take the risk.”

“Okay, let’s walk.”

I deactivated the magic of the portable magic tool.

After that, we walked silently towards where the maid sisters were.

In the path thickly stained with darkness, I began to ask Acid a few things. Like when he became so good at swordsmanship, and if he was mentally okay now.

Acid diligently replied that he had been practicing hard, and that he was not having a hard time thanks to the divine power protecting his mind.

But there was something subtly bothering me.

“Acid.”

“……Yes.”

“You’re bleeding.”

I quietly grabbed his arm.

Seeing the blood on his arm, I couldn’t help but tremble all over. Acid smiled faintly and took out a handkerchief from his pocket.

“I’ll wipe the blood off. It smells fishy, right? And I’m supposed to be a healer.”

“…….”

When I just stared blankly at his bloody arm and didn’t say anything, Acid quickly continued.

“If you’re uncomfortable, should I move further away?”